“See you in a few.”
“Right.” Maggie hung up then checked the time. She had about an hour until Josh got there, if he was on time. Thank God Nat and her friend Tom would precede his arrival.
Maggie, Natalie and Tom were sitting in the living room, talking, laughing and sipping wine when the front door buzzer went off in her kitchen. After the third refill Maggie no longer had to pretend to be having a good time but now her stomach did a flip-flop. Josh had arrived.
Maggie excused herself and went to the kitchen intercom. “Who’s down there ringing my bell?” she asked brightly.
The lilt in her voice startled Josh, but then it pleased him. Obviously the party was already in process and Maggie was enjoying it. Great. She was usually far too serious.
“It’s the big bad wolf,” he growled playfully. “Let me in or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in.”
“Which big bad wolf? There’s more than one in this neighborhood.”
“This one happens to be your boss, my dear,” Josh said in his best imitation of a villain in a melodrama.
“You just said the magic words, my dear,” Maggie drawled back at him. She laughed and pressed the button that would unlock the front door.
She checked the table that was set for four, turned on the oven and then returned to the living room. “He’ll be right up,” she announced.
“Maggie, we can only stay long enough to meet him,” Natalie said with a concerned expression. “I didn’t know it when we talked on the phone, but Tom promised to pick up several of his friends on the way to the concert. They’ll all be waiting, and…well…”
Tom spoke up. “I’m really sorry we can’t stay for dinner, Maggie. We’ll do it some other time, I promise.”
Maggie’s stomach sank, but she forced a smile. “I understand. I’m glad you were able to come by at all, considering your plans for the evening.”
They were getting into their coats when the doorbell rang. Maggie let Josh in, introduced the trio, then said good-night to Natalie and Tom. Natalie hugged her and whispered in her ear, “He’s gorgeous. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Maggie closed the door and leaned her back against it while she looked at Josh. His overcoat was wonderful. He was wonderful. Wonderful looking, at least. No telling what he would say or do when the truth came out.
Josh stood there in his overcoat and wondered what in heck was going on. As far as he could tell, there wasn’t anyone else in the apartment. Was he late? Had everyone already eaten and gone? Maggie had said seven, hadn’t she?
“Did they leave early or am I late?” he asked. He couldn’t stop his eyes from wandering over Maggie, down, up, down, up. She looked ravishingly beautiful in a blue skirt and blouse that were very close in color to her eyes. Her hair was exactly the way he’d been wanting to see it, loose, bouncy and framing her face. Her skirt was short, with the hem about two inches above her knees, and her legs in hosiery were stunning. This was a Maggie he’d never seen before, and he liked the view immensely.
She pushed away from the door. “Let me take your coat. Natalie and Tom had previous plans. They left early. You’re not late.”
“And the other guests?” Josh handed her his overcoat.
Maggie hung it in the tiny foyer closet. “There aren’t any.”
“Your other friends were all busy?”
“So it appears.” Maggie stepped into the living room. “Come and sit down. Would you like some wine? We’ve been drinking this bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, but I also have some white wine in the refrigerator.”
“The Cabernet is fine.” He noticed the one unused wineglass upturned on a napkin, which told him that Maggie had expected only three guests. Four wineglasses, including her own, were all there were. Obviously her spur-of-the-moment dinner party hadn’t panned out.
But he didn’t mind being the only guest, he didn’t mind it a bit. In fact, as he sat on Maggie’s sofa and sipped her wine, he began feeling cozy and contented. Sort of like he was sinking into a big, soft, warm pillow. Not that he’d actually ever done that, not literally, but the sensation was delicious, all the same. Here he was, alone with a beautiful, sexy woman, drinking wine and hearing soft music along with the wail of the wind beyond the walls of the building. Could heaven be more pleasurable? he wondered with a smile at Maggie.
That smile said a thousand things-Lord, he was a stunner!-and discombobulated Maggie. Nervous again, she stammered, “Uh, dinner is warming in the oven as we speak. We’ll be able to eat in about ten minutes.”
“Whatever you say. Anything you say.”
He was much too sweet and affable tonight, not at all the man she’d been working with these past few days. Even his face was different. Still outrageously handsome but without the granite his gray eyes usually portrayed. In fact, there was softness in his eyes that she certainly hadn’t seen before. Not even the morning he’d almost kissed her.
He’s on the prowl, you ninny! You could have him in your bed tonight with one small hint from you that he’d be welcome! Wasn’t that what you wanted to happen? The reason for this farce of a dinner party? After all, do you want to die a virgin?
No! But I don’t know what to do.
Just…just smile and feed him! He’s a man, isn’t he, and haven’t you heard for most of your life that men basically want two things from women, sex and nurturing? He’s not stupid. Be nice and he’ll catch on, and when he does, watch out!
Maggie nearly choked on her swallow of wine over that wild and woolly progression of thoughts. Her head was spinning more than it should be. She’d consumed too much wine on an empty stomach. It was time to eat.
She got up. “I’m going to put the finishing touches on dinner. You sit back and relax. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” She started for the kitchen, never dreaming that he would do what he did next.
“I’ll help. I’m not the kind of guest who lets the hostess do all the work,” he said smoothly. Josh was no more than one step behind her when they entered the tiny kitchen. “Oh, you have the table all ready. What else needs to be done?”
“Nothing. I mean, nothing big or…you know…important.” This was not going well, although she honestly didn’t know how to improve the status quo. Her stomach was in knots and her head was spinning, but the peculiar sensation down very low in her body was by far the most disconcerting symptom of whatever malady had attacked her at the very same moment that Josh had stepped inside her apartment. It was, of course, his fault.
“Sit down,” she said, deliberately sounding curt. She went to the refrigerator and brought out the bowl of salad she had prepared earlier. She removed the plastic wrap from the bowl before setting it on the table. Then she dared to look directly at her guest. “You’re not going to sit?”
“I will when you do. Besides, there are four place settings. Where would you like me to sit?”
“Oh. Sorry.” Such a small oversight should not have been an embarrassment, but Maggie felt her face flame. Instantly she became defensive. She wasn’t perfect, especially in this sort of situation. She should have removed two of the place settings from the table before doing anything else in the kitchen. “If you’re still looking for something to do,” she said a bit sharply, “you can gather two of the place settings and put them on the counter.”
“Glad to do it.” Josh could tell she was terribly uneasy. Almost clumsy, in fact, when at work she walked and moved with the utmost grace. He moved the extra settings to the counter then turned to look at her. She was just about to open the oven door when he asked quietly, “What’s wrong, Maggie? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
She straightened, stared wide-eyed at him and then humiliated herself beyond belief by getting tears in her eyes. “I…I’m so…stupid,” she whispered, and grabbed a paper towel from the roll near the sink and dabbed at her wet eyes.